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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · present · can · bark · mine · ball · last · scale

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. face — part of the head
  3. present — the time now
  4. face — to confront
  5. present — there
  6. mine — for digging
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — to point toward
  9. scale — size or range
  10. present — a gift
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. can — to be able to
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. last — to go on
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. scale — in music
  20. last — final
  21. can — a tin
  22. last — finally
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com